2008 Woodie Awards
Lecture offers connection between narration and ethnography
Brian Washburn
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: News
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Two professors from the University of South Florida blended together auto-ethnography and narrative writing Friday during a lecture in Kimpel Hall.
Carolyn Ellis and Arthur Bochner gave lectures titled "Bringing emotions and storytelling to communication research," according to a UA press release.
"Arthur and Carolyn are pioneers of ethnographic research in communication," said Tom Frentz, a UA communications professor. "That is the reason why the communications department brought them here."
Auto-ethnography deals with writing connections of yourself and culture, or yourself and others, Ellis said. "It can be stories of a particular life giving insight to a larger society or a larger culture.
"As a creative writing major, seeing ethnography blend with narrative writing was good because of the creative and academic aspect of it," said Tyrel Denison, a sophomore.
"It can be in personal stories, one in which there are researchers or a story where others are featured, but the researcher is a participant," Ellis said.
Ellis' lecture featured three personal stories of evocative writing, which she said was written to evoke the reader by displaying personal details. She also said that auto-ethnography is a way of being in the world and a way to think and keep rethinking life-making decisions of who you want to be.
"I have read [Ellis'] work, and I really liked to see her in person," said Ann Harmon, a UA graduate student who is working on an auto-ethnographic dissertation in the cultural anthropology program.
Ellis' three stories, featured during her lecture, were about the loss of her brother in the 1981 Air Florida plane crash, the loss of her first husband to emphysema and the years spent taking care of her mom when her osteoporosis began to worsen. She said these stories bring the reader into the experience. They can experience and examine one's own vulnerability, which is part of auto-ethnography, she said.
Carolyn Ellis and Arthur Bochner gave lectures titled "Bringing emotions and storytelling to communication research," according to a UA press release.
"Arthur and Carolyn are pioneers of ethnographic research in communication," said Tom Frentz, a UA communications professor. "That is the reason why the communications department brought them here."
Auto-ethnography deals with writing connections of yourself and culture, or yourself and others, Ellis said. "It can be stories of a particular life giving insight to a larger society or a larger culture.
"As a creative writing major, seeing ethnography blend with narrative writing was good because of the creative and academic aspect of it," said Tyrel Denison, a sophomore.
"It can be in personal stories, one in which there are researchers or a story where others are featured, but the researcher is a participant," Ellis said.
Ellis' lecture featured three personal stories of evocative writing, which she said was written to evoke the reader by displaying personal details. She also said that auto-ethnography is a way of being in the world and a way to think and keep rethinking life-making decisions of who you want to be.
"I have read [Ellis'] work, and I really liked to see her in person," said Ann Harmon, a UA graduate student who is working on an auto-ethnographic dissertation in the cultural anthropology program.
Ellis' three stories, featured during her lecture, were about the loss of her brother in the 1981 Air Florida plane crash, the loss of her first husband to emphysema and the years spent taking care of her mom when her osteoporosis began to worsen. She said these stories bring the reader into the experience. They can experience and examine one's own vulnerability, which is part of auto-ethnography, she said.
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